ActRaiser 2 - Super Nintendo Game

Pretty Good

The first Actraiser surprised many gamers with its state-of-the art presentation and its unique gameplay, so it's not entirely surprising that the 2nd one turned out to be a game with equal qualities and maybe even some better ones. The core action sequences have not changed that much but something that has changed a lot are the building levels. Well, I guess that I really can't say that they have changed that much cause they're nowhere to be found. It doesn't really matter to me because I never really liked them all that much; they just seemed too repetitive and dull when compared to the rest of the game.

Nothing has really changed about the action sequences 'cept the fact that you're no longer the same old knight guy; this time around you have to control some huge, buff, mildly attractive guy...with wings. I kind of like this guy more than the one in the 1st Actraiser, I guess that it's because he has wings and because he seems like more of a hero than the other guy.

Overshadowed

There are some games that suffer from their titles. When a prequel to a game is great, it's easy to make an unpopular sequel. ActRaiser was known for its combination of action/platforming and town sim elements. Many dislike ActRaiser 2 for removing the sim element.

Though I've never played ActRaiser, I often heard that the action part of the game was a bit... standard. I'm not trying to knock the game, I eventually want to play it. Actraiser 2 may not have any town simulation, but it is a top-notch action title. And certainly not a standard one.

One of The Few Who Enjoyed this Game

Enix has always been one of my favorite companies. They've been right up there with Square, Working Designs, and Konami for as long as I remember... that is, until when they announced they were going to "quit" releasing games in America. Good thing that Star Ocean came out, huh? Back in the heyday of the Super NES, the combination of Enix and Quintet brought some of the best games on the system.

SoulBlazer was fun (and I bought it for only $10!), and besides being one of the first games released for the system, ActRaiser remains one of my favorite games of all time. Somewhere nestled between all of the madness was ActRaiser 2. The sequel came by surprise and seemed to go buy without much fanfare or notice at all. Why is this?